Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday targeted the Samajwadi Party and its leadership by alleging that the “Saifai syndicate” used to “loot” the resources meant for the state’s development in the past.
He also hit out at the SP for its past plan to build a Mughal museum in Agra, asserting that his government will complete the Chhatrapati Shivaji museum by the end of this year. He said public funds would not be used to build a museum named after an invader
He was addressing a public meeting in Agra where he inaugurated and laid the foundation for 53 development projects worth over ₹342 crore.
“The Saifai syndicate (Saifai is the ancestral village of SP president Akhilesh Yadav) and before them Congress committed loot of resources meant for masses. They took away jobs of youth, well being of farmers and mafia came up in every district. Farmers were committing suicide, youth was struggling for identity and jobs while traders and daughters were unsafe before 2017,” he alleged.
“Now, none can threaten traders or daughters and anybody daring to do so will find a place in ‘jail’ or ‘jahannum’ (hell),” he said.
Listing various projects announced for Agra, Adityanath stated that it is the mindset which matters.
“In Agra, the city where Chhatrapati Shivaji displayed his valour, the SP government was building a Mughal Museum. Public funds would not be used for a museum named after an invader; instead, a museum would be constructed in the name of India’s national heroes. We will complete the construction of a grand museum named after Chhatrapati Shivaji by the end of this year. We have also approved the acquisition of the ‘kothi’ (residence) in Agra where Chhatrapati Shivaji had stayed,” he said.
“Agra is now developing into a new centre not only for industrial activity in the Braj region, but also for tourism. Connectivity has improved significantly,” he said.
“The previous regime in UP could have also undertaken development which the double engine government is ensuring. But for that one needs to devote time and communicate with people. Those who think only about their families and have limited thinking cannot be expected to do so,” he said.
“What can you expect from a chief minister who used to get up at 12 noon, get ready at 2pm, visit the gym at 5pm and meet friends after 7pm,” Adityanath said in a veiled attack on his predecessor.
He asserted that the situation had now improved in Uttar Pradesh.
“The double-engine regime brought the change and now there is no curfew or ‘danga’ (riots) and it is all “çhanga hi changa” (wellness) in UP,” Adityanath said in his 20-minute address.
Mentioning a recent order by the Supreme Court, the chief minister expressed hope that more industries will come up in Agra.
“There used to be many complications because of restrictions related to the TTZ (Taj Trapezium Zone) area but now we can expect an international airport and industrial growth in Agra, which is on its way to becoming a Smart City, Safe City and future-ready city,” the chief minister said.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court permitted the Taj Trapezium Zone Authority to process around 400 pending applications for setting up non-polluting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the ecologically sensitive area around the Taj Mahal. The top court, however, directed that experts from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) must scrutinise every proposal. If any objection arises, the application concerned “shall not be accepted without the leave of this court”, it said.
Those present at the public meeting included Union minister of state and Agra MP Prof SP Singh Baghel, Uttar Pradesh minister Bhupendra Chaudhary, who is the minister in charge of Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri MP Raj Kumar Chahar.